windchill down to 33 this hours. terms are already falling, and they'll continue to fall. 34 in win chesters. 41 in manassas, now 37 down towards cull pepper. the farm these temperatures go down, the easier it is for snow to fall. that's why we have a winter weather advisories in effect for tomorrow. this is west of i-95, so montgomery cow, louding county, both virginia and matterhand, and the west virginia panhandle, i think we will see some accumulation. there is our storm moving in now. i'll tell you who gets what and when. some will get more than others. more in just a minute. now to the wild ride that ended in a head-on collision. police tell us the suspects allegedly stole the car from landover, maryland. police spotted the car on oxen hill, but were unable to stop it before it crashed in the

district near wheeler road and southern avenue. news4's jackie bensen is at a gas station in northeast where a woman may have been robbed by the tame suspects moments before the crash. >> reporter: police do believe that is the case. the woman was robs of her purse here at this bp gas station. she said something to him to the effect of justice is going to catch up with you. it did, and she was there to see it. >> i'm okay now. i just thank god he didn't hurt me. >> >> reporter: when sharon gardner saw this maxima, it was speeding away from the bb gas station, with the man who would just stolen her purse in the backseat. >> i was in between vacuuming my car out, i was going from my driver's side to my passenger side. by the time i got to the trunk of my truck, he had immediately hurried up and took my

pocketbook. i had it on the floor. i had it covered up. >> reporter: someone had jotted down the tag number. gardner called the cops. while the responding officer wall street still at the scene, the radio crackled with news, the speeding nissan struck this chevrolet, barely missing a b i woman pushing a baby stroller. >> i heard this big boom, so i didn't think nothing of it. >> reporter: gardner drove to the scene to meet her husband, a police officers. she said she was calm enough to say something to the man who was running away, implying justice would catch up with him. she just didn't think it would be this soon i said, that's okay. that's okay. that is okay. that is why i told him what i told im. i was giving him a message. >> reporter: police believe that stolen nissan was involved in a number of crimes in a very short

time period this morning. we'll tell you more about that, coming up on "news4 at 6." reporting live in northeast washington, jackie bensen, news4. jackie, thank you. a facebook page is up tonight to helped a little girl shot and wounded in southeast. the page asks the public to make donations on behalf of 2-year-old cody. it also features several photos of the toddler, including one that shows the injury she suffered in the attack. cody and her mom were shot as they boarded a metro bus. he mother was killed. police tell us the gunman was cody's father. he was later found after taking his own life in new york. now to a developing story in prince william county, virginia. police have just released the name and picture of a man wanted to a braising carjacking in manassas. they're looking for antoine

mcgifr. the suspects stole their car along with the victim's rent money and his tab lett computer. there's a $1,000 reward being offered in this case. the snub lanes of rockville pike are still closed this even after a serious accident involving six cars. 9 five people were taken to a local hospital for treatment. a 61-year-old man is being treated for life-threatening injuries. still no work on what caused that pileup. now to the latest on the fiscal cliff talks tonight. a group of congressional leaders dropped a ball of their own today. theirs was a symbolic gesture. and released a disco ball. nothing to dance about tonight, but a meeting on the fiscal cliff just wrapped up at the white house. president obama and top congressional leaders were

trying to come up with ways to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts set to kick in next week. keith russell with more on the budget talks that ended about 45 minutes away. >> jim, the meeting started at 3:10 and ended at 4:15. the four congressional leaders left without speaking to the media. with $600 billion in tax hikes set to take effect new year's day. senior advisers said the president was set to make a small offer with the full support of reid and pelosi. nbc news has learned that a previous offered made by the president, the one that involved a tax increase for only those earning more than $400 is off the table. advisers say that was part of a bigger proposal that speaker boehner did not accept. it looks like the current proposal goes back to raising taxes on those who make more than $250,000. the proposal known as plan b didn't work. it will remain to be seen if the

smaller plan will. either way the countdown to the if you year could be very costly. >> i'm hopeful that a deal will avoid the worst parts of a fiscal live cliff. >> the tax increases need to be averted, avoided. they can be. i think in the end we'll get a deal. the question is the timing of that. >> according to administration officials, senior white house staff will hold a conference call with some of the country's top business leaders within the half hour to brief them on negotiations. we're told the president will not be on that call. live in the newsroom, keith russell, news4. stay with us. coming up at 50:30, we'll break down the immediate impacts on american there's no deal and explain how it would hit our local economy. again that's in the next half hour. it's an epic rivalry. washington versus dallas. this weekend the stakes are as high as they've ever been.

the rivalry can split households right down the middle. richard jordan joins us live from feddics field. richard? >> reporter: pat, there is no doubt about it, come sunday families will be pouring into the stadium or sitting around the tv to watch the big game, but some some cases this matchup is stirring up sibling rivalries, turning children against their parents and pitting husband against wife. >> we'll be divorced on sunday. just on sunday, though. >> reporter: meet the clarks. mom and dad have tickets to sunday's game. sure, they'll sit down, but they'll be cheering for opposite teams. reggie is pulling for a cowboys win. >> there's nothing like 90,000 just going -- [ sighing ] it is beautiful. i love it.

>> this family rivalry gets heated sometimes. here's how the teams break down. candice and gen niece are redskins fans. >> the one i was in labor with for 72 hours, this is how she does me, but i'm getting over that. >> and his son has to go with his dear old dad. he's a little shy. >> he's back and forth, because the kids at school call him rc 3. >> reporter: each shows their allegiance with their accessories. gabriella has redskins earrings, but her mom carries a cowboys purse. >> we said when we had her, we were going to let her make her own decisions. >> go redskins. >> reporter: in the end these football fan families say it's only a game. >> oh, that's a football game, you know? look what we made here. that's a football game.

after the game is over, we put the jerseys up, call it a day, cook out, dinner in, go about our day, you know. >> candice clark says when she first met her husband, he said the dallas cowboys. they still one out and have been married for 20 years despite their differences. richard jordan, news4. thanks, richard, you can watch the game right here on nbc4. stick with us for full coverage and for highlights. you can pick your team, but you can't pick your family. they will be family back on monday. coming up on "news4 at 5," the fight for tougher gun laws is not easing up. the battle is taking center stage in our backyard. burg lars in virginia stole boats and shot breezy the dog, but all hope is not lost for the dog who still hayes two bullets in her. vdot crews are prepared for

what could

a big drug bust at dulles airport, a shipment that was supposed to be wood coffee tables turned out to be the levy plant called kot, there were 214 pounds of the drug there, part of a freight shipment from qatar. the street value about $30,000. a customs spokesman says it's difficult to pursue charges, because the drugs start breaking down about 48 hours after its harvested. tonight a new milestone in liver transplantation that became a life-saving christmas gift for a woman in maryland. gwen shaffer was tess top of the transplant lift. she got word last week there might be as organ for her, but the odds weren't good, just a 30% chance of getting a new liver. however, luck was on her side. she got the organ and the

operation was a big succeed. the icing on the cake, it was georgetown transplant institute's 1,000th liver transplant since the program started in 1998. >> i certainly feel much happier and cheerful, seeing the little like a dream at first, and i didn't think i actually would be getting a transplant i don't think it's fully hit me how incredible this is. >> she says she's already feeling a lot better. she's hoping that having the new liver will let her become more active and get back to work. tomorrow snowfall will be the third winter event this week. for folks in loudoun county, they're getting some practice early. northern virginia bureau report david culver is live tonight outside vdot leesburg headquarters.

tell us hour people are prepares. >> reporter: folks either head to the grocery store or hardaway store. today we came up with folks who were preparing for that storm tomorrow. >> reporter: outside the harris teeter in landsdown we did find shopper. what do we have here? >> enough to last me. i get orders from headquarters, my oldest daughter, don't come out. >> we're from oklahoma. we get ice, but not a lot of snow. >> michael olson is planning to leave tomorrow. his flight is in the evening. he's not too worried. >> drives from here to dulles airport isn't very difficult, even when it snows a lot. >> reporter: he does fear a repeat of wednesday, where we found a couple accidents on route 15. that was only an inch or so of snow. and t.w. perry hardware store,

some essentials. >> two 50-pound bags of salt and a scraper. >> reporter: but he's not planning to leave. >> take it easy, sit inside and watch football. >> reporter: they had calls since early this morning. had people calling at 6:00, asking what was here, and they all came in, purchasing, and waiting for the snow to come tonight and tomorrow. >> reporter: v-dot is preparing for a long night, telling they plan to have 320 trucks prestaged at midnight, ready to deploy in prince wrm, arlington fairfax and here in loudoun. i did put a call into dominion virginia power officials. they tell me they'll have dozens of crews on standby and on call, but they don't expect any major power outages tomorrow. i'm david culver, news4. thank you, david. >> and i agree. >> and you agree? >> yes. no major power outages.

>> but we've got some stormy weather coming. >> it's going to be much of a nuisance storm. i don't think you need to get out there right away and figure out what you're going to do. maybe a total inch, but for some of you it will be a very pretty storm. if you saw snow on wednesday and it remained all snow for you, this will most likely remain all no once again. if you're in an area that you saw snow change over to rain, you're most likely in for the same thing again. that includes us right here. let's show you how things are right now. we're actually in a bit of a clear spot, so clear skies, that's allowing temperatures to go down. temperatures sitting at 38 degrees form the windchill down to 38 degrees. it's a capitol hilly friday evening, but a nice friday evening. if you want any night of the week to be nice to go out, it's probably a friday night. as far as temperatures are concerned, 36 in martins burg,

41 down towards fret ricks burg and annapolis coming in. temperatures will continue to cool closer to the freezing mark. i do think that as precipitation moves in, we will see it start off as snow, and it will stick fairly easily, especially to the north and west. nothing out there on the radar picture, but we don't have to go too far, before we start to see that rain and snow. snow in st. louis, heavy rain, and all of this moisture will continue to move our way. what are you we seeing from there? this is what we think will be happening. high pressure dominating. that's why we saw a pretty nice day today. here comes our low pressure and all that moisture, rains south and east, snow north and west. this area of low pressure will be a fast mover. watch what happens by tomorrow afternoon. it is out of here. by 5:00, just about everybody is on the dry side, the conditions

deteriora deteriorate. if you're thinking about traveling to the north up towards new york could be problems on the roadway going that way, but that's going to be about it. ski resorts, too, they'll get more snow out of this storm. then on sunday, what we all get is cold and very windy, very much like we saw during the day yet, when we had winds upwards of 40 miles an hour, i think that could be the kay on sunday. sunday will be a chili day with windchills in the 20s all day long. this is what i expect to happen, your snowfall forecast, eastern shore, i think this will mostly be an all-rain event for you. in and around the i-95 corridor, we talk about it all the time. those are the counties that border i-95. i think this will give us about an inch or less and switch over to rain, and all of it will wash away. yes, i expect accumulation early on. you will most likely wake up to snow outside your window. but then it would change over to rain, all snow to the north and

west. 1 to 2, maybe even 3 inches in isolated spots. out towards leesburg and shepher shepherdstown. that's why we have a winter weather advisory to the north and west of i-95, over towards montgomery county. no advisories needed. we're not going to see too much. so heads up if you're going to make your way out and about. this evening, no worries. partly cloudy cool, but nice. waking up tomorrow morning, you'll see the snow coming down in most areas, but switching over to rain. we'll see temperatures 29 to about 34. the next couple days, we'll see the cold temperatures move back in. tomorrow, or sunday night, they look good, but it is going to be cold out there. and then just cold weather to

tart off 2013? >> there's a game on sunday? call hellie. >> thanks, doug. >> no big game. just a little game. well, coming up on "news4 at 5," they might be the hottest tickets in town, except for the tickets to the game on sunday. we'll tell you how to get into the initial inaugural ball. and we're gooding to rewind to a classic matchup, where the big man on the defensive line came up big for the burgundy and gold. >> also called the greatest show on earth, but

back in 1983, these two rivals met in the playoffs at historic rfk, and a trip to the super bowl was on the line. jason pugh is here with more. hey, jason. >> through the years, the redskins and cowboys have played many thrilling games, but one stands out the most. it came back in the championship game in 1983. this game put the organization one step closer to winning its first super bowl. dan hellie has the story in this week's "redskins rewind."

>> reporter: january 22nd, 1938. 1983, crushing the cowboys. tom landry and his dallas cowboys were in town for the nfc championship just after american express released a new commercial featuring the most famous man in texas. >> you never know when you're going to be surrounded by a redskin. >> reporter: first quarter, and the redskins are charging. joe theismann over the middle of charlie brown. fielding the punt, but it's closing too fast. very, very briefly. that's all i needed. skins ball at the spot of the dropped punt. john riggins, diesels his way in from one yard out.

skins lead 14-3. and the hits keep on coming. 32 seconds left in the half. dallas quarterback danny white dropped back and dexter manly drops him to the turf, and out of the game. >> all day we've been running that play. i kept telling coach, hey, it's wide open, it's clean. they couldn't pick it up, because i was throwing pat donovan off. i thought it was going to eventually work. gary hogue aboom kept them in it. just under seven minutes remaining when darrell grant makes the play of his career. hogaboom dropping back, wash the right side of the scene for a screaming dexter manly. he tips the attempt. grant pulls it in and stomps in

for the ten-yard score. >> tried to position myself to where i'm close enough, if he releases fast, i could possibly make a play. but i stopped, he held it longer, then i saw dexter rush across, and when dexter jumped, he tipped it, and it went pretty high up in the air. i was able to run under it. >> joe gibbs carried off the field into the history books. the redskins were off to their first super bowl with a 31-17 win. >> it was the ultimate game. the spectators' game, the players' game. >> we have a team and it's been said many times, it's just a team. all i can add to that, it is one hell of a team. >> ten years after losing in their first-ever super bowl appearance, the redskins received redemption in 1983.

this year's squad is also looking for redemption after being written off earlier this season. we'll talk about that more in "news4 at 6." it should be a great game. two more days until the showdown. >> thank you, jason. coming up, americans banned from adopting russian children. there is harsh new reaction from one lawmaker who calls it cruel and malicious. a ride on the beltway can be dangerous. lately it's been deadly. we have a safety reminder tonight for drivers hitting the ro

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president obama is expected to make a statement about 15 minutes from now. it's not clear what he will discuss, but he just ended talks with congressional leaders at the white house about the fiscal cliff. if a deal is not reached by the first of the year, automatic tax hikes and spending cuts will kick in. now, let's check on the weather with doug. close to the freezing mark. 34 in winchester, 38 degrees in washington. the lower we get tonight, the better chance we have for any snow to stick on the roadways early tomorrow morning. good thing this is happening on a saturday. a lot of us get to sleep in during the day, but if you are

heading out early tomorrow morning, you could run into into slick roads out there. down to the south and west, we'll talk much more about how much you can expect in your area coming up in just a couple minutes. it's been a week of deadly crashes on the beltway. six people killed in two separate collisions. the most recent happened lat night. the other on christmas eve on the maryland side of connecticut avenue in silver spring. transportation reporter adam tuss is live look the beltway in virginia with what we have learned about the victims. adam? >> jim, the stories are heartbreaking, as you mentioned, a number of deadly crashes. new details about the people involved in this accidents. twists, turns, plenty of traffic, and unpredictable driver. the beltway can be a rough place to drive.

>> it is crazy, really crazy. >> reporter: just this past week, six fatalities on the road, christmas eve night near connecticut avenue. one of those killed, 30-year-old jasmine fujimison of silver spring. today a single rose sits on her wished, a memorial at her doorstep. >> that night the weather conditions was, you know, terrible because it was snowing or whatever, but it's just sad. >> reporter: then just last night three peoples from out of town killed when their truck slapped into the back of a stopped tractor/trailer, the driver 87-year-old peter stezny, local police see their fair share of accidents on the road. they say it's important to remember the crashes and drive safe. >> there are many heartbreaking stories year after year, whether it's in fairfax county or all around the roads in the region.

>> local drivers know too well the dangers of the driveway. >> the highways, it's really confusing. >> it can be treacherous at times. people cut you off and -- but you have to pay attention. >> reporter: back here live on the beltway. this time of year can be a particularly tough time to drive here on the belt wra. it has to do with unfamiliar driver in the area. more on that coming up at 6:00. reporting live along the beltway, adam tuss, news4. a man arrested as a sand hook elementary school in northern virginia last week could get out of jail soon. christopher johnson had bond set at $2,000. he was charged with disorderly conduct after walking into the school with a 2 by 4. the board had the word high-powered rifle on it. authorities believe he was making a statement about school safety just days after the massacre at sandy hook elementary in newtown,

connecticut. he was being held without bond. he's due in court next month. new surveillance video just into the newsroom tonight of four people who police say are persons of interest in a shooting. a man was found with several gunshot wounds in the 1000 block of 14th treat on wednesday. the video shows four men entering the eastern market. police are asking for the public's help to identify the suspects. there is outrage tonight over a new russian law, having an impact here in the u.s. it bans americans from adopting russian children. as news4's melissa mollett explains, this diplomatic dispute is leading to heartbreak for some, looking to start or expand their families. >> reporter: the u.s. is the biggest destination for adopted russian children, with more than 60,000 of them being taken in by americans over the past two

decades. meet the suze family. right now they want nothing more than a sibling for him. since last year, they've been applying. >> it's a million pieces of paper. you laugh about t. but it really is quite an intensive process. >> reporter: waiting for another child, but this bill could bring an end to their dreams of adding to their family. >> with this new development, it could come to a screeching halt. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of russian children are in orphanages. president putin signed the bill this morning angry about a new american law. >> there really is a great irony is that america speaks out against human rights violations, and russia sort of responds by potential denying many thousands of russian orphans the most basic human right of all, which is a loving, permanent family. >> reporter: the bill has angered some russians. ben's father beg president putin

to think twice before signing the bill into law. >> just from father to father, president putin, i just ask that, as a father, just to consider what's happening to the families that are in process. let us at least go through the process of bringing home our children. >> reporter: right now it's estimated that 1500 kids are in the process of being adopted. if this law goes into effect january 1, those adoptions could come to a screeching halt. in the newsroom, melissa mollett, news4. john mccain condemned the new legislation, calling it shameful and appalling. in a statement he said the effects are cruel and malicious. thousands of babies and children who had a chance for a loving home and better future will now be denied that opportunity. to punish babies and children over a political difference between our governments is a new low, even for president putin's russia. more people wanting a chance

to attend the inaugural ball next month, the limited number of tickets, the official ball will take place january 21st at the washington convention center. those interested in the public tickets need to sign up on the presidential inaugural committee's website 2013pic.org. information will be sent out by e-mails. tickets cost $60 each. when we come right back, a dog is shot during a burglary in virginia. now there's a rescue mission to save a life. and we continue to monitor the white house tonight. here's a live picture. president obama is expected to come out and give a statement in just a few minutes, possibly

a rescue mission is on tonight to help a guard dog. breezy is a 5-year-old american pitbull. she guards a boat-yard in virginia beach. this morning burglars shot her twice and left her there as he loaded up boats on trailers to steal them. nor fox animal control took her to a local vet for emergency surgery to remove the bullets. police are investigating. they hope the surveyian video

will help they will find thousands burglars. an animal rights group settled a lawsuit with ringly brothers after accusing them of abusing elephants. word of the settlement came today from field entertainment. the circus sued accusing the animal rights group of conspiracy to hurt its business. coming up, the real impact of going over the fiscal cliff, how it will affect your paycheck right away. i'm tracee wilkins in prince george's county. coming up, clergy, children, folks who live in this county remember sandy hook by gathering for prayer in front of a gun shot. i'll have that story coming up. another winter storm making its way. more cold air.

we continue right now to follow the latest on the fiscal cliff talks. in just a few minutes, president obama is expected to speak to the media. he's been in meetings all afternoon with congressionally leaders. those meetings wrapped up just over an hour ago.

at this point, no word of an agreement. so what if there is no deal? what's the impact of going over the clip for you and your family? we8, right away on your next paycheck you'll see an increase of 2% in the social security tax. for the average family that's about $1,000 more every year. now, something that might take a few weeks, income tax rates will also rise for everyone. if you make between $50 and $75,000, you'll stand to lose about $92 every paycheck. for those making between $75 and $100,000, it's a bit more. you'll notice about $142 less every paycheck. the unemployment will also be taking a big hit in january. if congress doesn't agreed agree to an extension long-term jobless benefits will expire for more than 2 million americans. here in the district, city

leader say we stand to lose big with all the government employees and contractors out there, thousands could lose their jobs. these are just some of the changes you might feel. for more, head to nbcwashington.com, and search fiscal cliff. a 24-year-old woman is under arrest in connection with the ambush attack that killed two firefighters in webster, new york. done nguyen of rochester is facing federal charges. police say she shot the semiautomatic rifle and shotgun that wrim spangler used to shoot four firefighters on christmas eve. spangler later killed himself. he was convicted of killing his grandmother back in the 1980s. as a felon was not allowed to even own a gun. >> they're notorious for no background checks. >> protesters made their voices

heard outside the nation's gun show at the dulles expo center. two weeks after the deadly shootings in newtown, krk countering, lines at the center stretched far into the parking lot. gun show attendens and gun sales have been on the increase since the new town shootings as gun rights activists worried about tightening rules. in district heights, neighbors held their own vigil. 24th doesn't interrupt anyone, but still made their presence known. prince george's county bureau chief tracee wilkins is live with how they took their message right to a local gun shop. tracee? >> reporter: organizers say that today's demonstration was not a protest, not yet, but was a vigil. they were remembering those lost in newtown. >> in we could just ring the bells on behalf of those 26

lives. >> reporter: they came to pray. no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. >> reporter: they prayed in multiple languages, in the hopes of changing minds of dealers and buyers. >> the house may not be able to agrieve for capitol hill, but we ought to be able to agree for the sake of a healthier community. >> reporter: the prayer vigil held in honor of the 26 lives lost in the tragedy happened in district heights outside the realco gun shop. >> the killing of the children in newtown and all young people killed as a result of violence are the -- >> reporter: one of the most profitable gun dealers in the nation. thousands of gun-related crimes in the washington area have been linked to weapons purchased in this store. this group are all calling for

the end of the sale of assault weapons. >> we come at this hour to condemn the use of guns and every act of violence throughout this nation and indeed this world. >> reporter: just a few miles away from today's demonstration, it was a busy day at the upper marlboro small arms range. >> i think it's very sad what happened to the kids. it's crazy. i can only imagine. >> jerry russell jr.'s response differs from those at the vigil. he believes in responsible gun ownership, is even teaching his 12-year-old nephew how to protect himself now. >> there's a lot of crazy people, guys that go out and shoot kids. there are also people that will break into homes and want to hurt their family. >> reporter: i spoke with the owner to see if he had any comments about the prayer vigil held outside history. he said he does not respond to

media inquiries. tracee wilkins, news4. items being donated are flooding newtown, connecticut, so many they're filling a warehouse faster than volunteers can figure out how to give them out. there are lots of stuffed animals and toys. it was two weeks ago that a gunman massacred including the gunman's own mother. they hope the donation will provide comfort during this difficult time. >> we would like to give it to the kids first, but we don't know. we're just busy taking it all in. >> reporter: town leaders are asks people not to send gifts, but gift cards and donate to the united way. the president is talking now. >> and shrink the definite sit. a balanced plan, but also ask

the wealth iier americans a lite nor. i still want to get this done. it's the right thing to do for our families, our businesses and our entire economy but the hour for immediate action is here. it is now. we're now at the point where, in just four days, every american's tax rates are scheduled to go up by law. every american's paycheck will get considerably smaller. that would be the wrong thing to do for our economy. it would be bad for middle-class families and bad for businesses that depend on family spending. fortunately congress can prevent it from happening if they act right now. i just had a good and constructive discussion here at the white house with senate and house leadership about how to prevent this tax hike on the middle class. i'm optimistic we may still be able to reach an agreement that can mass both houses in time.

senators reith and mcconnell are working on such an agreement as we speak. but if an agreement isn't reached in time between senator reid and senator mcconnell, then i will urge senator reid to bring to the floor a basic package for an up-or-down vote, one that protects the middle class from an income tax hike, extends the vital lifeline of unemployment insurance to 2 million americans looking for a job and lays the groundwork for future cooperation on more economic growth and definite at this time reduction. guys, i can hear you over here. as long as those leader allow it to actually come to a vote. if members of the house or the in a want to vote no, they can. but we should let everybody vote. that's the way this is supposed to work.

if you can get a majority in the house and get a majority in the senate, we should be able to pass a bill. so the american people are watching what we do here. obviously their patience is already thin. this is deja vu all over again. america wonders why it is that in this town for some reason you can't get stuff done in an organized timetable. why everything has to wait until the last minute. well, we're now at the last minute. the american people are not going to have any patience for a politically self-en conflicted wound to our economy. not right now. the economy is growing, but sustaining that trend is going to require elected officials to do their jobs. the housing market is recovering, but that could be impacted if folks are seeing smaller paychecks. the unemployment rate is the lowest it's been since 2008, about you already you're seeing

businesses and consumers starting to hold back because of the dysfunction that they see in washington. economists, business leaders, all thing that we're poised to grow in 2013, as long as politics in washington don't get in the ware of america's progress. so we've got to get this done. i just want to repeat. we had a constructive meeting today. senators reid and mcconnell are discussing a potential agreement where we can get a bipartisan bill out of the senate, over to the house and done in a timely fashion so that we met the december 31st deadline, but given how things have been working in this town, we always have to wait and see until it actually happens. the one thing the american people should not have to wait and see is some sort of action. so if we don't see an agreement between the two leaders in the senate, i expect a bill to go on

the floor action and i've asked senator reid to do this -- put a bill on the floor that makes sure that taxes on middle-class families don't go up, that unemployment insurance is still available for 2 million people, and that lays the groundwork then for additional deficit reduction and economic growth steps we can take in the new year, but let's not miss this deadline. that's the bare minimum we should be able to get done. it shouldn't be that heart since democrats and republicans both say they don't want to see taxes go up on middle-class families. i just have to repeat. outside of washington, nobody understands how it is that this seems to be a repeat pattern over and over again. ordinary folks, they do their jobs. they meet deadlines, they sit down and they are discuss

things, and then things happen. the notion that our elected leadership can't do the same thing is mind-boggling to them. it needs to stop. so i'm modestly optimistic that an agreement can be achieved. nobody will get 100% of what they want, but let's make sure middle-class families and the american economy, in fact the world economy, aren't adversely impacted. thank you very much, everybody. right now at 6:00, president obama just wrapped up a news conference in which he said he is modestly optimistic a deal can be reached to avoid the fiscal cliff. doug is tracking the storm that could dump about 2 inches of snow this weekend. will your neighborhood get snow or rain? a showdown.

they're about to throw down at fedex field. we'll have the coverage. good evening. >> our top story, the snowstorm that's expected to arrive overnight is going

hey, look! a shooting star! make a wish! i wish we could lie here forever.